A film about loving the whole juicy hamburger of marriage even when the sides get cold

ABOUT

FRENCH FRIES explores a young, hip African-American foodie couple’s fight to resolve communication problems in a modern marriage of six years, four months and three and a half days.

The film is part of Refinery29’s Shatterbox, an award-winning short-film series dedicated to spotlighting the voices of female filmmakers. Born as a rallying cry to counteract the staggering fact that only 7% of the top 100 film directors in 2016 were female, the series champions gender parity storytelling in Hollywood, both on and off the screen. Season 1 debuted in 2017 in partnership with Comcast Watchable with directorial debuts from 12 filmmakers including Kristen Stewart, Chloe Sevigny, Gabourey Sidibe, Courtney Hoffman, and Tiffany Shlain among others. The films premiered at Sundance, SXSW, nyff and The Cannes Film Festival, before streaming digitally on Refinery29 and received high accolades including Anu Valia's winning Sundance’s U.S. Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short Film. In the first year, Shatterbox garnered over 15 million views and 4 billion press impressions. The second season of Shatterbox debuts in 2018 in partnership with TNT, with films broadcasting on both linear TV and digitally later this year. Watch More

Cast & Credits

Janine Sherman Barrois

Writer/Director

Janine Sherman Barrois is an award-winning writer/producer who is currently the showrunner/executive producer on the TNT hit dramedy Claws, starring Niecy Nash. She has been writer/executive producer on such shows as ER and Criminal Minds and has won numerous awards including a Humanitas and several NAACP Image Awards. Barrois graduated from Howard University. French Fries marks her directorial debut.

Rebecca Naomi Jones

“SYDNEY”

You can currently catch Rebecca in Most Likely to Murder, which premiered in March at SXSW, and recurring as Gwen on HBO’s High Maintenance. She previously recurred on Denis Leary's FX series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll and has had guest appearances on Inside Amy Schumer, Difficult People, Good Girls Revolt, Odd Mom Out and Limitless, among others. Rebecca is best known for her work on Broadway, where she's starred in Green Day's American Idiot, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Significant Other and Passing Strange. Her other film work includes last year’s smash hit The Big Sick, produced by Judd Apatow; Lee Kirk's Ordinary World, which debuted at the TriBeCa Film Festival in 2015; and Branden Kramer's 2014 thriller Ratter. Upcoming projects: Someone Great (prod. NETFLIX/Gina Rodriguez) and the Facebook TV series Strangers.

Carl D. McDowell

“JASON”

Carl D. McDowell was born on the gang-ridden streets of the south side of Chicago. Although he had his share of problems with gangs and brushes with the law as a teenager, sports ultimately led him in the opposite direction. His TV credits include a series regular role on HBO's Ballers, as well as parts in Sons of Anarchy, Shameless and Roadies, just to name a few. Carl is a smart, funny person that genuinely cares for people, and in this day and age of "Hollywood," that is a breath of fresh air.

Khaliah Neal

Producer

Khaliah Neal has worked at a wide range of prominent production companies and film studios including The Weinstein Company, Jean Doumanian Productions and Focus Features. Recently, she produced The Rachel Divide, a Netflix original documentary, with Executive Producer Roger Ross Williams, and X, a short film and the directorial debut of Yara Shahidi. Likewise, she has a TV series in development with Starz, created by acclaimed playwright Katori Hall, and another series based on the Sundance short she produced, American Paradise, which she's currently developing into a series with Time Warner. She is also producing The Last Black Man in San Francisco with Plan B and A24, and has numerous other projects across film, TV and documentary. Khaliah is a graduate of Howard University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism.

Carmen Cabana

Cinematographer

Carmen Cabana is a cinematographer of Afro-Hispanic descent. Fresh off a DP seat on the Starz TV show Vida and the second season of Netflix's Narcos, Carmen's years of experience and ability to visually capture the emotions of any story have catapulted her to one of the top choices for female cinematographers among filmmakers. She has shot over 22 features around the world, has worked with top talent and has attended screenings at a number of renowned festivals. Carmen was mentioned in the magazine American Cinematographer in the article "Rising Stars of Cinematography" (February 2017 issue) and was also listed in Variety's 2016 "Below the Line Impact Report - Up Next" as one of the most promising new filmmakers.

Cecil Gentry

Production Designer

A production designer with an eye for detail and authenticity, Cecil is known for his stylized sets and sharp attention to production value. With a nod to his background in architecture and interior and furniture design, Cecil brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. He is best known for his work in the award-winning Imperial Dreams, Swimming with Sharks and the acclaimed Women Thou Art Loosed: On The 7th Day, starring Blair Underwood and Sharon Leal.

Dolores Ybarra

Costume Designer

Dolores Ybarra is the renowned costume designer of the hit TNT dramedy Claws, starring Niecy Nash. She has worked on such shows as Blackish, The Soul Man and My Wife & Kids. She is the youngest twin from a family of twelve children. From the very beginning, she knew she wanted to be a part of costumes and even missed school to see the red carpet arrival at the Academy Awards. Dolores' visit starts by taking each character and dissecting them, and then creating a style full of texture and color that is unique and authentic. It is with these skills that she has become a leader in the art of visual storytelling.